J. Elementol. 2009, 14(1): 71-78 71 EFFECT OF SILICATE FERTILIZERS ON YIELDING OF GREENHOUSE CUCUMBER (CUCUMIS SATIVUS L.) IN CONTAINER CULITIVATION Ryszrd Stnis³w Górecki, Wies³w Dnielski-Busch Reserch Institute of Vegetle Crops, Skierniewice Astrct licone (), very undnt element in the Erth s crust, is eneficil for plnts, nimls nd humns. Despite its undnce in nture, it is often unville in sufficient quntities. Cucurits re elieved to ccumulte elevted quntities of nd enefit from fertiliztion. It is elieved tht higher content in cucumer plnt is connected with incresed yields s well s improved resistnce to diseses nd tolernce to iotic stresses, for exmple drought. The eneficil effects of hve een confirmed y the present study, in which cucumers were grown in soil nd in liquid nutrient solutions. The im of the experiments hs een to evlute the effect of severl silictes supplementing petsed growing sustrtes on yield nd content in growing medi nd in cucumer plnts. For this purpose, pot experiments were crried out in n unheted greenhouse in 2005-2007. Cucumer plnts were cultivted in 12-liter continers filled with sustrtes mended with N-, K-, C- nd mmonium silictes t rtes of 2 or 4 g per liter. The results indicted tht slow-relese C- nd NH 4 -silictes contriuted to incresed yield nd elevted content in cucumer leves nd fruits. The effect of the other silictes ws not certin nd, dditionlly, dependent on their concentrtions. Wter-solule N- nd K-silictes cused incresed N or K concentrtion nd rised ph of sustrtes. The results reveled tht incresed yields depended on the numer of fruits rther thn their verge weight. The silictes of clcium nd mmonium cn e vlule, slow-relese fertilizers in cucumer cultivtion on orgnic (pet) sustrtes. Even in quntities s high s 4 g per liter of sustrte, they did not cuse drstic chnges of the ph nd slinity of growing medi nd were good source of ville to cucumer plnts. Key words: silictes, fertiliztion, cucumer, growing medium, yield. Ryszrd Górecki, Reserch Institute of Vegetle Crops, 1/3 Konstytucji 3 Mj Street, 96-100 Skierniewice, Polnd, phone (46) 833 22 11, e-mil: rgoreck@inwrz.skierniewice.pl
72 WP YW NAWOZÓW KRZEMOWYCH NA PLON OGÓRKA SZKLARNIOWEGO W UPRAWIE WAZONOWEJ Astrkt Krzem jest zliczny do pierwistków doroczynnych dl roœlin, zwierz¹t i ludzi. Pomimo jego ofitoœci w przyrodzie poierny jest jednk niejednokrotnie w zyt m³ych iloœcich, co zle y równie od systemtycznej przynle noœci poszczególnych gtunków. Ogórek nle y do gtunków korzystnie reguj¹cych n nwo enie krzemem i kumuluj¹cych jego wiêksze iloœci. Uw siê, e zwiêkszenie zwrtoœci krzemu w roœlinch przyczyni siê równie do wzrostu odpornoœci roœlin n niektóre choroy orz stresy iotyczne. Stwierdzono korzystne dzi³nie krzemu w uprwie gleowej orz n po ywkch p³ynnych. Celem dñ y³o okreœlenie wp³ywu kilku krzeminów n plonownie ogórk Milenium F 1 i zwrtoœæ pierwistków w sustrtch torfowych i roœlinch. W ltch 2005-2007 przeprowdzono dni wzonowe w szklrni nie ogrzewnej. Roœliny ogórk uprwino w wzonch zwierj¹cych po 12 dm 3 sustrtu torfowego uzupe³ninego krzeminmi sodu, potsu, wpni lu monu w iloœci 2 lu 4 g w 1 dm 3 sustrtu. Stwierdzono korzystne oddzi³ywnie spowolnionych krzeminów wpni i monu n plonownie roœlin orz wzrost zwrtoœci krzemu w liœcich i owocch ogórk. Dzi³nie pozost³ych krzeminów nie y³o jednoznczne i zle ³o tk e od stê eñ nwozów. Rozpuszczlne krzeminy sodu i potsu powodow³y wzrost zwrtoœci tych pierwistków orz odczynu sustrtu. Wykzno, e zwy k plonów ogórk wi¹z³ siê rczej ze wzrostem liczy owoców, nie z ich ms¹. Krzeminy wpni i monu mog¹ w uprwie ogórk n sustrtch orgnicznych stnowiæ cenne nwozy o spowolnionym (d³ugotrw³ym) dzi³niu. Nwet w zncznych iloœcich (4 g w 1 dm 3 sustrtu) nie powoduj¹ drstycznych zmin odczynu ph i zsoleni orz s¹ Ÿród³em krzemu przyswjlnego przez roœliny. S³ow kluczowe: krzeminy, nwo enie, ogórek, pod³o e uprwowe, plon. INTRODUCTION licone is one of the most undnt elements on the surfce of the Erth (HOU et l. 2006). Although its physiologicl nd nutritionl role is still uncertin (BELANGER et l. 1995), there is growing interest in silicone, especilly with regrd to the cultivtion of cucumer, species known to ccumulte high quntities of. Plnts cn extrct very high quntities of silicone per unit of surfce (CARNELLI et l. 2001). It is lso known tht silicone cn interct with Al nd other toxic elements i.e. Mn, elevting their toxicity to plnts (IWASAKI, MATSUMURA 1999, BADORA, GRENDA 2002, GRENDA, SKOWROÑSKA 2004). It ws found tht ppliction hd eneficil effects in cucumer cultivtion s well in soil s in soilless cultures (MIYAKE nd TAKA- HASHI 1983, LEE et l. 2000). The im of the experiments reported in this pper ws to evlute the effect of severl silictes used s mendments to pet-sed growing sustrtes on yield nd content in growing medi nd in cucumer plnts.
73 MATERIALS AND METHODS The experiment ws crried out in n unheted greenhouse t the Reserch Institute of Vegetle Crops in Skierniewice, in 2005-2007. Seeds of cv. Milenium F 1 greenhouse cucumer were plnted t the eginning of My, nd 4 weeks lter trnsplnts were trnsferred to growing continers. The experiment ws terminted t the end of Septemer. Cucumer plnts were grown in 12-liter continers filled with pet sustrte. The sustrte of ph 6.2 contined per 1 dm 3 : N-NO 3 140 mg, P 110 mg, K 160 mg, C 2250 mg, Mg 165 mg nd micronutrients. The experimentl tretments consisted of the sustrte mended with different silictes (sodium, potssium, clcium nd mmonium). In 2004, preliminry trils were performed to estimte proper rtes of silictes to e used in further experiments. A rnge of 1.0-6.0 g of silictes per 1 dm 3 of growing medium ws tested. Eventully, it ws decided tht the experimentl rtes of silictes would e 2.0 nd 4.0 g per 1 dm 3. In 2006 nd 2007 sodium silicte ws not tested ecuse in 2005 t the rte of 4 g per 1 dm 3 it cused n dverse effect on the sustrte s ph, N content nd ppernce of cucumer plnts. Ech tretment consisted of 16 plnts (4x4 replictions). During the growing period plnts were wtered with tp wter nd fertilized every second wtering with liquid fertilizer ccording to current chemicl nlysis of the growing medi. Fruits were usully collected twice week; their weight nd numer were recorded. The experiments were rrnged in one-fctoril design. The experimentl results were evluted sttisticlly with nlysis of vrince. Men vlues were compred with Newmn-Keuls test t p=0.05. For chemicl nlysis, the sustrtes nd plnt mteril were extrcted with cetic cid t concentrtions of 0.02% nd 2%, respectively. The chemicl nlyses of the growing medi, leves nd fruits were performed using n ICP nlyser. Phosphorus ws nlyzed with the colorimetric method using Spekol pprtus nd N-NO 3 with colorimetric utomtic flow system. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The results re given in Tles 1-3 nd Figure 1. During the preliminry experiments performed in 2004 it ws found out tht silictes dded to the sustrtes t rtes over 4 g per 1 dm 3 of medi were excessive, prticulrly in the cse of wter-solule N- nd K-silictes. The results otined in 2005 clerly indicted tht supplying the medi with the tested silictes, except (NH 4 ) 2 O 3, cused incresed concentrtion of prticulr elements t the end of the growing seson (Tle 1). Also the content of solule ws rised in ll the tretments. N-, K- nd C-contining silictes t oth
74 CO3 2. 0 7. 0 1. 0 < 5 122 61 3112 183 212 14. 5 181 CO3 4. 0 7. 0 1. 2 < 5 132 67 3390 171 280 1 179 ( NH4 ) 2 O 3 2. 0 6. 4 0. 9 < 5 76 54 2623 148 287 6. 6 216 ( NH4 ) 2 O 3 4. 0 6. 5 1. 1 < 5 68 50 2373 139 311 8. 8 176 Dt mrked with the sme letters within columns ccording to Newmn-Keuls test t p = 0.05. did not differ sttisticlly, Tle 1 Effect of growing medium mendment with silicone fertilizers on content of elements t the end of the growing seson nd yield of cucumer fruits, 2005 Slinity 3 P K C Mg N Yield ( g dm 3) ( g dm 3 ( mg d m- 3 ( dg pln t- 1) Tretment ph N-NO Control 6. 5 0. 2 < 5 86 62 2754 180 55 4. 5 186 N 2 O 3 2. 0 7. 2 0. 5 < 5 100 59 2588 176 261 14. 2 177 N 2 O 3 4. 0 7. 7 0. 6 < 5 90 60 2411 162 336 18. 6 177 K 2 O 3 2. 0 7. 1 1. 0 < 5 115 398 2571 158 88 13. 6 215 K 2 O 3 4. 0 7. 5 1. 1 < 5 119 675 2455 169 90 22. 4 186 Effect of medium mendment with potssium-, clcium- nd mmonium-silictes t rtes of 2 nd 4 g dm - 3 on yield nd growth of cucumer. Dt per plnt, 200 6 Tretment Yield of fruits Fruits numer Weight of 1 fruit Tle 2 Fresh wt of 1 plnt ( dg) (%) ( no) (%) ( dg) (%) ( dg) (%) Control 190 100 12. 7 100 0 100 36 100 K 2 O 3 2 g dm- 3 162 c 85 10. 4 82 7 105 34 94 K 2 O 3 4 g dm- 3 159 c 84 10. 3 81 4 103 38 106 CO3 2 g dm- 3 152 c 80 12. 8 101 11. 9 79 49 136 CO3 4 g dm- 3 163 c 80 10. 8 85 1 100 38 106 ( NH4 ) 2 O 3 2 g dm- 3 230 121 3 120 0 100 51 142 ( NH4 ) 2 O 34 g dm- 3 220 116 14. 0 110 7 100 53 147 Dt mrked with the sme letters within columns ccording to Newmn-Keuls test t p = 0.05. did not differ sttisticlly, tested rtes cused increse of ph. K- nd NH 4 silictes t lower rtes cused sttisticlly proven yield increse of cucumer fruits. In 2006 the highest yield nd fruit numer were otined with (NH 4 ) 2 O 3 t the lower rte of 2 g per liter. The fresh weight of whole plnts lso incresed under the influence of (NH 4 ) 2 O 3 nd CO 3 t the rte of 2 g per 1 dm 3 of sustrte (Tle 2). The chemicl nlysis of the growing sustrtes s well
75 Tle 3 Effect of growing medium mendment with 2 g dm - 3 of clcium silicte (C ) nd 2 g d m -3 mmonium silicte (N ) on the content of elements in the sustrte, leves nd fruits, nlyzed twice in 2007 Mteril dte Sustrte Aug. 07 Leves Jul. 20 Fruits Jul. 20 Leves Aug. 07 Fruits Aug. 07 ph H 2 O s leves nd fruits, which ws performed twice in 2007 (Tle 3), indicted tht enrichment of pet sustrte with C- nd NH 4 silictes cucused incresed slinity nd P content s well s decresed K content. The content of elements in cucumer leves nd fruits depended strongly on the time when plnt prts were smpled. The results showed tht leves ccumulted severl-fold more thn fruits nd tht silictes-mended growing medi cused higher ccumultion in leves nd fruits (Tle 3). It ws lso demonstrted the lower rte of silictes usully evoked the response of cucumer plnts, expressed s incresed yields (Figures 1, ). These figures clerly show tht higher yields (Figure 1) were connected with the numer of fruits per plnt (Figure 1) MIYAKE nd TAKAHASHI (1983) reported eneficil effect of soil fertiliztion with silictes on the growth nd yield of cucumer plnts nd reduced dmge cused y wilt disese. Excessive silicte fertiliztion resulted in incresed soil ph nd inferior growth of cucumer. Appliction of orgnic mt- Tretment Slinity N-NO3 P K Mg ( g NCl dm - 3) 7. 8 0.46 10 79 234 224 2294 10. 5 C 7. 8 0.62 10 133 187 208 2236 9.73 N 7. 7 0.89 58 93 130 219 2454 10. 4 ( mg kg- 1 d.m. ) 1160 4500 28 019 4595 43820 263. 7 C 3770 2900 35 683 4168 50460 381. 7 N 12120 4100 35 512 4518 48200 308. 9 113 6610 32 348 2839 3940 3. 9 C 199 4240 39 614 2860 5290 2.38 N 1050 7310 39 965 2529 4220 0.98 1500 4700 26 454 7897 52300 454. 8 C 1620 3100 27 092 6194 53830 517. 6 N 3280 3800 25 339 6386 60420 620. 8 964 6700 42 312 3038 3840 < 0. 1 C 500 4300 38 752 2849 4060 8.74 N 796 5800 41 193 2853 3630 4.96 C
76 400 350 c dg plnt 1 300 250 200 150 c 100 50 fruit plnt 1 0 25 20 15 10 2005 2006 2007 c 5 0 2005 2006 yer C N 2007 Fig. 1. The effect of sustrte mendment with 2 g dm -3 clcium silicte (C) or mmonium silicte (N) on the yield () nd fruit numer () in 2005-2007. Dt mrked with the sme letters did not differ significntly within yers, ccording to Newmn-Keuls test t p=0.05 ter helped to improve soil ph. RODGRES-GRAY nd SHAW (2004) lso stted tht orgnic mtter mendment to soil ltered plnts tolernce to folir nd stem diseses in winter whet. It is of interest tht the yield increse in our experiments ws connected with the numer of fruits. In our previous work (GÓRECKI et l. 2004) on eggplnt, we reported tht -fertilizers cused more numerous seed set. Distriution of silicone in cucumer plnts hs een descried y ABD ELMONIEM et l. (1997) nd SAMUELS et l. (1991). FAWE et l. (1998) nd DRAGISIÆ MAKSIMOVIÆ et l. (2007) discussed the physiologicl role of silicone in modultion nd metolism of different compounds in cucumer plnts.
77 CONCLUSIONS 1. Insolule, slow-relese clcium- nd mmonium-silicte fertilizers proved to e vlule mendments of pet-sed orgnic growing medi for cucumer cultivtion. 2. At doses of 2 g per 1 dm 3 of growing medi, they contriuted to incresed cucumer yield nd contents in leves nd fruits of cucumer plnts. 3. Incresed fruit yields were more strongly connected with the fruit numer per plnt rther thn the verge fruit weight. REFERENCES ABD-ELMONIEM E.M, SOLIMAN E.M., MEDANY M.A., ABOU-HADID A.F. 1997. Distriution of silicon in cucumer leves. Egypt. J. Hort., 24: 197-206. BADORA A., GRENDA A. 2002. Wp³yw krzeminów i zmodyfikownych zwi¹zków glinokrzeminowych n toksycznoœæ Cd i Zn dl niektórych roœlin uprwnych. Zesz. Pro. Post. Nuk. Rol., 482: 37-46. BELANGER R.R, BOWEN P.A., EHRET D.L., MENZIES J. G. 1995. Solule silicon, its role in crop nd disese mngement of greenhouse crops. Plnt Disese, 79: 329-336. CARNELLI A.L., MADELLA M., THEURILLAT J-P. 2001. Biogenic silic production in selected lpine plnt species nd plnt communities. Ann. Bot., 87: 425-434. DRAGISIÆ MAKSIMOVIÆ J., BOGDANOWIÆ J., MAKSIMOWIÆ V., NIKOLIC M. 2007. licon modultes the metolism nd utiliztion of phenolic compounds in cucumer (Cucumis stivus L.) grown t excess mngnese. J. Plnt Nutr. Soil Sci., 170: 739-744. FAWE A., ABOU-ZAID M. MENZIES J.G., BÉLANGER R.R. 1998. licon-medited ccumultion of flvonoid phytolexins in cucumer. Phytophtology, 88: 396-401. GÓRECKI R., BORKOWSKI J., STÊPKOWSKI J., BUSCH-DANIELSKI W. 2004. Wp³yw krzemu n wzrost i plonownie oer yny i pomidor w sustrcie torfowym. Zesz. Pro. Post. Nuk. Rol., 502: 483-489. GRENDA A., SKOWROÑSKA M. 2004. Nowe trendy w dnich nd iogeochmi¹ krzemu. Zesz. Pro. Post. Nuk. Rol., 502: 781-789. HOU L., SZWONEK E., XING S. 2006. Advnces in silicon reserch of horticulturl crops. Veg. Crops Res. Bul., 64:5-17. IWASAKI K., MATSUMURA A. 1999 Effect of licon on Allevition of Mngnese Toxicity in Pumpkin (Cucurit moscht Duch cv. Shintos). Soil Sci. Plnt Nutr., 45: 909-920. LEE J.S., PARK J.H., HAN K.S. 2000 Effects of potssium silicte on growth, photosinthesis nd inorgnic ion sorption in cucumer hydroponics. J. Koren Soc. Hort. Sci., 41: 480-484. MIYAKE Y., TAKAHASHI E. 1983. Effect of silicone on the growth of cucumer plnt in soil culture. Soil Sci. Plnt Ntur., 29: 463-471. RODGERS-GRAY B.S., SHAW M.W. 2004. Effects of strw nd silicon soil mendments on some folir nd stem-se diseses in pot-grown winter whet. Plnt Pth., 53: 733 740. SAMUELS A.L., GLASS A.D.M., EHRET D.L., MENZIES J.G. 1991. Moility nd deposition of silicon in cucumer plnts. Plnt. Cell Environ., 14: 485-492.
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